Winding spindle



March 7, 1967 F. A. MACEDO 3,307,300 I WINDING 'SPINDLE Filed Dec. 18,1964 FIG. I

INVENTOR. FmnkA.Macedq WBM ATTORNEYS United States Patent F 3,307,800WINDENG SPINDLE Frank A. Macedo, Pawtucket, R.I., assignor to LeesonaCorporation, Warwick, R.I., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec.18, 1964, Ser. No. 419,331 6 Claims. (Cl. 242115) The present inventionis concerned with waste yarn winding apparatus and, more particularly,with waste yarn winding apparatus having improved winding spindles.

In the manufacture of yarns and particularly synthetic yarns, acontinuous strand of yarn, advancing at a high rate of speed, isproduced and taken up on the spindle of a suitable winding machine.Usually in such winding apparatus it is necessary to provide means fortaking up the waste yarn and keeping a stress on the advancing yarn whenthe loaded spindle is being replaced by an empty spindle.

One object of the present invention is to provide waste yarn windingapparatus for use with such winding machines which are of simplestructure and can be economically manufactured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide waste yarn windingapparatus comprising spindles having means thereon to facilitate thedotting of the waste yarn.

A further object of the present invention is to provide waste yarnspindles having means thereon for facilitating the doffing of the Wasteyarn.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing theconstruction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which areexemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a winding machine incorporating thewaste yarn winding apparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a waste yarn spindlewithin the scope of the present in- .vention.

The waste winding apparatus of the present invention comprises a wastewinding spindle having means thereon for facilitating the doffing ofwaste yarn therefrom, means for rotating said spindle end, in preferredembodiments, means for controlling the rate of rotation. The spindlepreferably comprises a tapered body, e.g., a truncated cone having onits surface at least three rods, preferably equally spaced around saidbody and extending apexially from the base or broad end of the body tothe tapered end thereof; the rods being slidably movable along thetapered body towards the tapered end so that yarn wound around the bodyand rods may be moved on said rods to a portion of the body having asmaller circumference whereat the yarn may be more readily doffed orremoved.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a winding machine 4having therein a waste yarn winding apparatus 6 of the present inventionembodying a waste yarn spindle 8. The winding machine generallycomprises a pedestal 10 having mounted thereon a housing 12 in whichthere is located winding mechanism (not shown), such, for example, asdisclosed in US. Patent No. 2,740,- 590, issued April 3, 1956 to J. V.Keith for Winding Machine. The winding mechanism comprises means forrotating spindle 14 which is attached to it through shaft 16 and meansfor operating, in housing 18, a barrel cam (not shown) which by knownmechanism guides a 'ice traverse yarn guide (not shown) back and forthalong the length of the spindle 14. The winding speed of the spindle 14is controlled by the tension placed on yarn guide 20, around which theyarn is wrapped during the winding operation. The pressure on yarn guide20 is transmitted through compensator arm 22 to suitable controlmechanism (not shown) such as disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,752,105,issued June 26, 1956 to J. V. Keith.

The waste yarn winding apparatus 6 is mounted on the winding machine 4by bracket 24 which is attached to the pedestal 10. The mounting may bepermanent or temporary, depending upon whether it is desired to providea separate waste winding apparatus 6 for each winding machine 4 or touse one for many machines. The waste winding apparatus includes a wasteyarn spindle 8 which is rotatably attached to a suitable means forrotation. In the embodiment shown, the rotation means is a conventionalair-driven motor 28 which is connected to a source of compressed air(not shown) through a pipe 30. The speed of the motor 28 is controlledby a regulating valve 32 which regulates the flow of air through themotor.

In initially starting the winding machine 4 (without threading the wasteyarn winding apparatus 6), the yarn is fed from a suitable source (notshown) to yarn guide 34, down through a yarn guide (not shown) on thefar side of housing 18, around yarn guide 20, up across the nose piece36 of the spindle 14 and on to yarn guide 38 to spindle 14. When thespindle 14 is rotated at a sufficiently high speed, an initial threadyarn snagger 40, such as disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,998,202, issuedAugust 29, 1961 to John V. Keith, engages the yarn, cuts it and startsthe winding operation on a suitable tube carried by the spindle 14.

When the tube is almost fully wound or it is desired to thread the wastewinding apparatus 6, initially, the yarn Y is brought over the taperedbody 42 of waste yarn spindle 8 by yarn guides 44, through yarn guides46 and 47 to yarn guide 20 and then up through yarn guide 48 to thespindle 14 or yarn guide 38 depending upon the phase of the operation.When the tube is fully Wound the waste winding spindle 8 is rotated andthe yarn Y is cut by a suitable yarn cutting means between the wasteyarn spindle 8 and yarn guide 20. As a result of the cutting, the yarnis taken up on waste yarn spindle 8 and the pressure is released on yarnguide 20. The release of pressure on yarn guide 20 stops the rotation ofspindle 14 so that the full tube may be doffed. The dofiing is carriedout by pivoting lever 50 which is connected to expansible arbors (notshown) in the spindle 14. When the full tube is replaced by an emptytube, the winding operation may be started by simply forming a loop inthe yarn before it reaches the Waste winding apparatus 6 and routing theloop over yarn guide 20, across the nose piece 36 of spindle 14 andaround yarn guide 38 back to the waste yarn spindle 8. The pressure ofthe yarn on yarn guide 20 causes spindle 14 to rotate and activates theinitial thread yarn snagger 40 which starts the winding operation. Whenthe yarn is being taken up on spindle 14, the waste winding apparatus 6may be stopped and the waste yarn removed from the spindle 8.

The waste spindles 8 of the present invention include a tapered body,such as a truncated cone 42 which on its broader or base end is attachedto a base cap 52 having somewhat of a larger circumference. At equallyspaced points around the circumference, the base cap bears three (twoshown) apexially extending slots 54 which are adapted to receive one endof rods 56 (only one shown) which extend apexially along the entirelength of the winding surface of the tapered body 42. Towards theirsecond ends the rods 56 are bent back upon themselves to form rearwardlyextending portions 58. The truncated end 60 of the cone 42 has anorifice 61 therein which is a adapted to receive one end of stud 62. Thestud 62. may be held in orifice 61 by a set screw (not shown) whichpasses through orifice 64 to threaded orifice 68. The truncated end 60of the cone 42 and the stud 62 have therein, respectively, three slits70 and three channels 72 which are circumferentially positioned on theirrespective elements so as to correspond with the slots 54 in base cap52. The slits 70 and channels 72 are adapted to receive the rearwardlyextending portion 58 of the rods 56 and hold said rods againstcentrifugal and circumferential movement. The locking action is achievedby having the rearwardly extending portion 58 of the rods extend morerearwardly than the slits 70 so that the ends 74 of the rods 56 willengage the inner walls (not shown) of the truncated cone 42. The end ofstud 62 which protrudes outside the truncated cone 42 bears threads 76which are adapted to receive head cap 78. When head cap 78 is fullytightened on threads 76 the head cap engages the angled end 80 of therods 56 and prevents their apexial movement.

When it is desired to doif waste yarn from the waste spindles 8 of thepresent invention, the head cap 78 is removed and an apexially directedforce is applied to the yarn and rods 56 to cause them to move towardsthe truncated end 60. Upon such movement the yarn will be located at apoint on the tapered body which has a smaller circumference than thepoint at which it was initially wound and can be readily removed.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention herein involved, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A yarn collecting device comprising, a sleeve having first and secondend portions and adapted to have yarn wound thereon, first and secondflanges arranged respectively at said first and second end portions,said first flange being movable into and out of engagement with saidsleeve, support means extending longitudinally of said sleeve, saidsupport means being mounted for movement longitudinally of said sleevewhen said first flange is disengaged from said sleeve, said supportmeans having a surface protruding above the periphery of said sleeve forengaging the yarn wound on said support means, the yarn engaged on saidsurface being movable cooperatively with said support means, one end ofsaid support means being slidably received in an opening in said secondflange, the opposite end of said support means communicating with saidfirst flange when said first flange is engaged with said sleeve, andretaining means for holding said first flange on said first end portionto thereby secure said support means in a yarn receiving location withsaid sleeve, said retaining means being releasable to permitdisengagement of said first flange from said sleeve whereby the yarnWound on the sleeve may be moved longitudinally of said sleeve.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includesa plurality of members spaced equidistantly around said sleeve.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a plurality of slotsspaced equidistantly around said first end portion, each of said membershaving its end communicating with said first flange formed with aterminal section engaging in an associated one of said slots.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve is a taperedbody, said first end portion being at the apical end of said body, andsaid second portion being at the base end of said body.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said support means includesa plurality of members spaced equidistantly around said sleeve.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 including a plurality of slotsspaced equidistantly around said apical end, each of said members havingits end which extends beyond the apical end of said sleeve formed with aterminal section engaging in an associated one of said slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,951,748 3/1934Brown et al. 2421 18.11 2,154,343 4/1939 McDermott 2421l0 STANLEY N.GILREATH, Primary Examiner,

1. A YARN COLLECTING DEVICE COMPRISING, A SLEEVE HAVING FIRST AND SECONDEND PORTIONS AND ADAPTED TO HAVE YARN WOUND THEREON, FIRST AND SECONDFLANGES ARRANGED RESPECTIVELY AT SAID FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS,SAID FIRST FLANGE BEING MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAIDSLEEVE, SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLEEVE, SAIDSUPPORT MEANS BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLEEVEWHEN SAID FIRST FLANGE IS DISENGAGED FROM SAID SLEEVE, SAID SUPPORTMEANS HAVING A SURFACE PROTRUDING ABOVE THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SLEEVE FORENGAGING THE YARN WOUND ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS, THE YARN ENGAGED ON SAIDSURFACE BEING MOVABLE COOPERATIVELY WITH SAID SUPPORT MEANS, ONE END OFSAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN AN OPENING IN SAID SECONDFLANGE, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAIDFIRST FLANGE WHEN SAID FIRST FLANGE IS ENGAGED WITH SAID SLEEVE, ANDRETAINING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID FIRST FLANGE ON SAID FIRST END PORTIONTO THEREBY SECURE SAID SUPPORT MEANS IN A YARN RECEIVING LOCATION WITHSAID SLEEVE, SAID RETAINING MEANS BEING RELEASABLE TO PERMITDISENGAGEMENT OF SAID FIRST FLANGE FROM SAID SLEEVE WHEREBY THE YARNWOUND ON THE SLEEVE MAY BE MOVED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLEEVE.